Aberration Quote by Charles Darwin
“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I confess, absurd in the highest degree...The difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural selection , though insuperable by our imagination, should not be considered subversive of the theory.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Origin of Species, 1859 (note: quote often misattributed)
The passage argues that the eye’s complexity seems implausible under natural selection, yet acknowledges that this difficulty does not invalidate evolutionary theory.
In simple terms: The eye looks too perfect for evolution, but that isn’t proof against it.
Key Takeaway
Accept scientific challenges without dismissing the whole theory.
Themes
science
evolution
skepticism
complexity
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- debate
- public policy
- science communication
Key Concepts
natural selection
biological design
philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence bridges perceived gaps in evolution?
- How can we address perceived absurdities constructively?
A Different Perspective
Complex organs can be explained by incremental adaptations, not instant design.
![“[Dr. Constain James] refuted so well the aberrations of Darwinism… [A system] which is repugnant at once to history, to the tradition of all people, to exact science, to observed facts, and even to reason itself, would seem to need no refutation. But the corruption of this age, the machinations of…” quote by Pope Pius IX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/927/pope-pius-ix-26903_aberration_dr-constain-james-refuted-so-well-the-ab_292056.jpg)
![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
